In The Evolution of Civilizations , master historian Carroll Quigley argues that a civilization’s growth and decline is driven by the development of its instrument of expansion . To oversimplify, the instrument of expansion is the social system that accumulates wealth and invests it into further production. When this system is functioning well, the civilization grows and flourishes, not just economically but also demographically, geographically, and scientifically. When the instrument of expansion inevita
This is a dense theory and I will not try to do it justice here. [1] This essay is written for people who have read the book and are already familiar with Quigley’s model. Feel free to read it and come back, the book is worth your time and this page will still be here. You can skip chapter 6.
These instruments of expansion can be categorized, and Quigley discusses a few of the categories. I’m willing to go a step further. There have been four instruments of expansion in human history, and every civilization has been based on one of these: